This invention relates to X-ray lithography and in particular to apparatus for projecting patterned X-ray illumination onto the photo-resist coated substrate members employed in X-ray lithographic systems.
X-ray lithographic systems use X-rays, projected through a mask, to expose an X-ray resist. The procedure replicates mask patterns on resist coated substrate members. The exposure time depends upon the amount of X-ray power available at the mask. Because the system is a projective one, the X-rays must be nearly parallel to each other. Thus a point X-ray source is commonly used in state of the art systems. Point X-ray sources, however, have power limitations that necessitate extended exposure times and otherwise limit their usefulness in such systems. Furthermore, the point X-ray sources used in currently available systems must necessarily illuminate the entire mask surface thereby significantly reducing the efficiency of the system. There currently exists therefore the need for higher powered, more efficient X-ray sources for X-ray lithographic applications. The present invention is directed toward satisfying this need.